


heavy in your arms

by llien



Series: your sleeplessness; your grief [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Background Relationships, But they're the entire point, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Sora and Riku are asleep, Speculation, soriku implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 15:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19022650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/llien/pseuds/llien
Summary: Riku follows Sora without a moment's hesitation, and those left behind must decide their path moving forward.Or: Roxas learns it's hard, to choose to leave your friends behind.





	heavy in your arms

**Author's Note:**

> I have a vague timeline in mind for the post kh3 and the events of the next game. Sora's body reappears after he drops Kairi off, Riku drops into Sora's dreams, and their bodies are left behind. 
> 
> Vanitas is there because earlier in the series I wrote him being taken into Sora's heart, and he got unceremoniously booted out. He's not really happy about it.
> 
> “In daylight, how could I possibly explain:  
> A heart hunting after a body?”  
> -Jenny Johnson

Roxas stood just aside as they argued, eyes lost between here and there. Their raised voices were making him wince with each shout and slam of the desk, the skull-candle long since disturbed from its spot. Ventus had retreated slightly behind Aqua and Terra, eyes wide, something fragile about his shoulders, and Xion was similarly quiet, chewing her lip hard enough to make it bleed.

Vanitas was scowling fiercely, hate writ cross his brow as he followed the discussion raptly, as if waiting for the exact moment to dig his nails in and render it apart.

Lea was more vocal than Roxas had expected, seething as he went toe to toe with Aqua, despite being cowed by her as her eyes flashed dangerously. Yen Sid was surprisingly quiet for once, though Roxas didn't blame him since he'd probably be just as subdued if Terra had snapped at him like that. Both Terra and Aqua were terribly intimidating and frightening, anger coiled just beneath their charming surface.

Naminé stood beside Yen Sid's chair, eyes glued to the barriers Roxas was protectively besides.

Hovering in them were Sora's and Riku's bodies.

They looked exactly as if they were asleep, a mimicry Roxas hadn't thought he'd see again past the first time they'd met.

"We'll do both," Roxas said loudly, cutting Aqua's tirade off mid-word. She snapped her mouth shutting, gaze like daggers and frigid as ice as she locked them with Roxas'. "Their bodies..." he placed a hand on Sora's barrier and found the reflective surface chilling. Light blinked away from his palm, waving across the circular barrier like ripples in a pond. "They need to age, and they won't do that in the castle." 

Ven shuffled in place as both Aqua and Terra stiffened. None of them liked having their missing decade brought up, but it was a worthy point.

"It won't be right, that they won't... match, with us," Roxas said after a beat where no one spoke up. "But Aqua has a point. We can't anticipate always being around to protect them, and we can't wait around doing nothing with our own lives."

Because Roxas had learned his lesson, what sacrifices would do to you, and though he regretted nothing, he still made sure to meet Xion's eyes as he said it. She didn't scowl but she didn't look away, bloodied lip falling from her teeth. Lea clicked his tongue as he noticed, grabbing her wrist in mute chastisement.

Vanitas surprised them all when he spoke. "So what? Stick them in flowers and in a castle and call it a day? Are you going to actually  _ do  _ anything to bring them back?" His lip curled, baring teeth, and he aggressively stalked forward to meet Roxas face to face, and Roxas bristled, leaning forward and hands twitching at his side with anticipation. "This just sounds like giving up."

"It's not giving up!" Ven snapped, losing some of his timidity as Vanitas snapped his glare towards him. He stepped forward from between Aqua and Terra, hesitant at leaving them but firm in his declaration. "Aqua didn't think 10 years would pass, but it did. Almost all of you weren't supposed to happen, but you did. We can't predict the future and make decisions based off some kind of arrogant confidence we'll win. You should know that better than anyone, Vanitas."

Vanitas sneered, opening his mouth to retort, but Naminé beat him to it. "I'll do it."

Her soft voice arrested him, and they all turned as one to face her. She'd been silent so far, alternating between staring down at her feet and the barriers, but as she looked up she seemed nothing but determined. "I owe them both... and I can protect them both. And... if I'm near Sora, I can... I'll know. If something happens."

"But how is that fair?" Terra said, soft voice comforting as he addressed her, as if she was fragile. Roxas met Naminé's steady gaze, even as her hands clenched her sketchbook nervously. "You just got your life back, you shouldn't be chained down in a castle all by yourself."

"Especially not that castle," Lea muttered. He shook his head, fiery red hair bouncing. "I'm against it."

"I am, too," Xion murmured. 

Naminé seemed taken aback, then turned her head aside, abashed. Roxas knew, with a sudden startling recognition, that she was touched by their concern.

Roxas looked back at Sora, lips softly parted in sleep and hair floating. No one seemed to acknowledge or realize Aqua's quiet strength to maintain both barriers with an almost thoughtless grace. He pressed his hand harder against it, and saw Aqua turn to look at him out of the corner of his eyes, but he ignored her, gritting his teeth as he watched Sora.

He hated remembering the way Riku skidded on sand to reach Sora's body first, cradling him to his chest as Sora's hand fell limp, and then Riku falling, too. How Roxas had arrived too late, even though he'd been only a second behind, to follow them. How Vanitas had suddenly appeared, and looked at them all with hate and betrayal. 

"We'll take turns," Xion said, and Roxas turned to watch as she pulled free from Lea. "Us, I mean," and she tilted her head towards Ven, Vanitas, and Roxas. "If you want. Something's missing, without him, and I don't think I can move forward without it."

They all took a moment to digest that, and Roxas met each of their gazes in turn. It was true, how much it hurt to have him missing. Terra and Lea didn’t seem to know what to say to that, and Aqua was frowning.

"Aqua," Ven said loudly, "I think Roxas should be a master."

_ "What?" _ Roxas spluttered, thrown off his stride by the seeming non-sequitur.  _ "Why?" _

"Not that I'm against it, but why bring it up, Ven?" Aqua asked, her earlier stringent tone relaxing to something gentle, brows furrowing.

Ven shrugged. "Someone other than you needs to know how to lock and unlock the castle, and Roxas is the next one who's the most ready, I think."

Both Aqua and Terra locked eyes, communicating silently, and Roxas blinked, flabbergasted. Him? A  _ master? _ Before  _ Sora? _ It filled him both with pride and dread, a sudden sinking guilt making him wince. He knew Sora wouldn't be unhappy, hell Sora would congratulate him first, but it felt somehow... wrong.

"Yeeah," Lea crossed his arms, pursing his lips, "me 'n Kairi aren't up to scratch yet, but Xion could be tested too. We need more masters."

Mickey had returned to his kingdom, Yen Sid was still retired, and their only other two masters were Riku and Aqua. 

Roxas felt suddenly overwhelmed by this prospect of both responsibility and power, and for a moment he nearly wanted to run away.

"I'll take the test," Xion said calmly, confident, "if Roxas does, and Ven."

Ven shook his head rapidly, holding his hands up, "No,  _ no way, _ I'm not ready. I can't even beat Aqua  _ or _ Terra, and definitely not Roxas or Riku. I... I'll pass this time."

"Ven," Terra frowned, "you know you're much stronger than before."

"Not stronger than  _ me," _ Vanitas sneered, making both Ven and Terra drop into scowls instantly. 

"What about Vanitas?" Naminé spoke up timidly, but she didn't shy away when she was once again the focus of the group.

Roxas frowned, considering Vanitas. They'd just met, and while Vanitas seemed far too aggressive, Riku had been similarly unlikeable at first. He shrugged, and saw that most of them aside from the trio from the Land of Departure seemed to agree.

"Ugh, no," Ven spat, and Terra had a strange face. Aqua's was pinched.

"Don't worry about me, blondie," Vanitas waved his hand dismissively, "I don't want to be one of your shitty masters anyways. I'm just here to get back what's mine." He pointed towards Sora, safely cocooned in the barrier for a reason. 

Lea snapped his fingers and leaned forward, grin lighting up his face, "I got it! We can live in that castle of yours! That way if they wake up, we're there, and if we have to leave, then it'll be real simple to do that fancy trick of yours. Hm-hm, full of bright ideas, here."

All of them spoke at once, arguing and shouting, mostly a lot of dismay from Vanitas and a few others, though Ven seemed incredibly for it. Roxas turned back towards Sora and poked the barrier, watched as the smooth surface rippled. 

He heard them discuss transferring the pods from Twilight Town, the living arrangements, vague muttering about the structure of the mark of mastery exam; he wondered what Sora would say to all this.

To them moving on, despite leaving Sora and Riku behind. 

He closed his eyes, and could almost hear Sora's easy laugh. 

**Author's Note:**

> twitter | _oathbreaker
> 
> Writing so many people speaking was such a pain, geez. I had to cut on some characterization, otherwise this would've just become a script. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
